IOWA CITY, IA- Riverside Theatre, Iowa City's resident professional theatre company, will produce Riverside Theatre in the Park from June 15 - July 8, featuring As You Like It by William Shakespeare, directed by Theodore Swetz, and The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, directed by Kristin Horton.

This is the 13th season of the four-week event, formerly called Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival.

"Emphasizing the outdoor setting will, we hope, remind people about how magical live theatre in the outdoors can be. As the play begins, night begins to fall, the birds sing, the stars come out. It transports you to another time and place," said Riverside Theatre Artistic Director Jody Hovland.

Tickets for this summer's Riverside Theatre in the Park will go on sale on Friday, May 4 at noon.

In As You Like It, Rosalind, Shakespeare's most breathtaking heroine, and her boyfriend Orlando find themselves in the enchanted Forest of Arden, where "all the world's a stage," and where sudden infatuation is as confusing as it is beautiful. As You Like It has everything people adore about Shakespearean comedy: mistaken identity, cross-dressing, madness, mayhem, lust, laughter, and of course plenty of romance, both heartbreaking and joyous.

"This romantic comedy celebrates the importance of love and has a soothing transformative effect on all who enter its world," said Swetz.

Arguably one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays, The Merchant of Venice introduces characters rich in complexity, humor and, most of all, flaws. To help Bassanio win the heart of the wealthy heiress Portia, Venetian merchant Antonio borrows money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Amid the blossoming love, romance and comic pursuits of the heart, Shylock's loan goes unpaid. Antonio must suffer the consequences of defaulting on the loan - and therefore pay the penalty: a pound of his own flesh. Post-performance Talkbacks will be held after all performances of The Merchant of Venice.

"Shylock is a man desperately grasping for respect in a world infected with hatred and greed - he is a tragic character who can't escape this infection himself. A more modern play one will not find," said Swetz, who will be portraying Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in addition to directing As You Like It.

The Merchant of Venice and related audience education and outreach efforts are supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Riverside Theatre in the Park is performed outdoors at the Riverside Festival Stage in Iowa City's Lower City Park every summer. This Globe-inspired theatre set against a bluff and adjacent to a willow-ringed reflecting pond, seats 472.

"It's always exciting for us to assemble the summer company -more than 30 actors, directors and designers from New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, as well as right here in Iowa City. Actors play roles in both productions, and often understudy additional roles, so their time here is very full," said Hovland.

Several returning actors will appear in featured roles this summer: Kelly Gibson (Ah, Wilderness!) as Portia, Kalen Harriman (Mary's Wedding, Romeo and Juliet, Love's Labour's Lost) as Rosalind, Jim Van Valen (A Steady Rain, Ah, Wilderness!) as Jaques and John William Watkins (Guys on Ice) as Gratiano.

Single tickets for Riverside Theatre in the Park range from $17-$39 with discounts available for students, seniors, and youth, as well as those wishing to purchase tickets to both shows. Special pricing is also available for groups of 10 or more.

Four Family Nights will take place on June 17, 24, 26, and July 3. On Family Nights, up to two adults accompanying a youth will receive their tickets at the $17 youth price. Family nights are sponsored by funding from the Johnson County Community Foundation.

Tickets can be ordered by calling the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 319-338-7672. The Riverside Theatre Box Office is open Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. After Memorial Day, the Box Office hours change to Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Single tickets may also be order online at www.riversidetheatre.org

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Performance Schedule

June 15, 8 p.m. - As You Like It

June 16, 8 p.m. - As You Like It

June 17, 7 p.m. - As You Like It*

June 22, 8 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice

June 23, 8 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice

June 24, 7 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice*

June 26, 7 p.m. - As You Like It*

June 27, 8 p.m. - As You Like It

June 28, 8 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice

June 29, 8 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice

June 30, 8 p.m. - As You Like It

July 1, 7 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice

July 3, 7 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice*

July 5, 8 p.m. - As You Like It

July 6, 8 p.m. - As You Like It

July 7, 8 p.m. - The Merchant of Venice

July 8, 7 p.m. - As You Like It

* Family Night, where up to 2 adults accompanying a youth will receive their tickets at the youth price.

Yoga has become a popular option for alternative health management. Research has shown the practice can significantly reduce mental and physical stress, improve mood, and slow the aging process.

But some yogis believe many of the estimated 20 million U.S. students are missing the best part of the discipline - the inner happiness attainable through a healthy mind-body connection. They also worry about injuries that result when beginners tackle poses and exercises without proper guidance.

"There are several disciplines of yoga, and with its rich history, the beginner can easily get lost - or worse - injured," says Mary Jo Ricketson, an experienced yoga practitioner and healthcare specialist, and author of Moving Meditation (www.thegoodwithin.com). A registered nurse, she also holds a master's degree in education from Northwestern University.

"What I detail in my book is a comprehensive approach for both mind and body. This reciprocal relationship maximizes health benefits, and has exponentially positive consequences beyond the individual."

People have been practicing yoga for thousands of years, she says. In the West, the practice has integrated with our culture leading to variations including "extreme" yoga. Ricketson warns this sort of exercise can alienate beginners, who may not be ready to "jump in the deep end first." Without the proper training and guidance, she adds, beginners risk injuring their neck, lower back, knees and shoulders.

The most important step is getting started, Ricketson says. Here are seven things beginners - and anyone practicing yoga - should know to maximize their benefits:

1. Cardiovascular (aerobic) training: As with meditation, focused breathing is a cornerstone of mind-body training. Aerobic means "with oxygen" and aerobic movement increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, including the brain. Cardiovascular training is the single most important aspect of the physical training because it keeps the heart open and strong.

2. Core and strength training: This includes the students' abdomen and buttocks, and the lower back region, which extends to the base of the skull. Here is where strength, stability and balance originate.

3. Flexibility training (yoga postures): Stretching simply feels good, and it reminds students to not only be more flexible in one's body, but also one's mind. This step allows us to move (and live) with greater ease.

4. Adequate rest: Sleep is a necessary part of life, and sufficient rest is needed for energy and equilibrium.

5. Life-giving nutrition: Making the right choices in food allows yoga students to achieve an optimal, balanced state. This includes nutritional foods consumed in moderation.

6. Family/community/church: From Epicurus to modern science, study and observation show that we find greater happiness with access to friends and family.

7. Written goals and a plan of action: Goals and stated intention act as a road map to achieving balanced well-being.

Ricketson says the above steps are just the beginning. She says tapping in to the mind-body connection also helps memory loss, attention deficit disorders, public violence - including in schools - as well as an unknown amount of needless human suffering.

"We all have within us a potential to experience optimal well-being in mind and body," she says. "This potential, the Good Within, can be realized through the work of mind-body training. Our training is a moving meditation - a daily practice of exercises that awaken all that is Good Within."

About Mary Jo Ricketson

Mary Jo Ricketson has studied human health and well-being for decades, earning a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a master's in education. In 1999, she opened the Center for Mind-Body Training, which offers classes, seminars, and personal training. Yoga training is done in her studio, in schools, and in corporate settings. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and two children.

BLOOMINGTON, IL (05/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers who served in Afghanistan as part of an embedded training team have completed their mission and will return to Illinois this week. The homecoming ceremony for Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A8 will be May 2 at the Bloomington National Guard Armory, 1616 S. Main St. in Bloomington at 4:30 p.m.

Mobilized in June, the team trained at Camp Atterbury, Ind., and joined its Polish counterparts in Poland for training before deploying to Afghanistan.

BEST A8, who was part of Task Force White Eagle, was instrumental in preparing the southern half of Ghazni Province for the 82nd Airborne's arrival.

"The amount of time, coordination and physical labor put into this mission is impressive by itself, but the fact that the Army and Air Force engineers completed this mission is incredible," said 1st Lt. Ryan Bivins of Dixon with BEST A8.

The operation consisted of more than 500 Army, Navy and Air Force engineers, expanding five existing bases and building five new bases during the harsh winter months of Afghanistan.

"A logistics operation of this significance was only possible through cooperation of the Soldiers, Airmen, transporters and aviators, Department of Defense agencies and the Polish military contingent," said Maj. Rhonda Petersen of Lindenhurst with BEST A8. "Task Force White Eagle was able to realize this objective through coordination and execution with more than nine task forces within Regional Command East and 1st Cavalry Division. The proactive dynamic of all involved ensured a winning combination."

Attack helicopters were not something Task Force White Eagle had received too much of in the past until Capt. Tony Keel of Grayslake ensured Soldiers in Task Force White Eagle had support from the sky.

"Helicopter planning was extremely time consuming, but very rewarding and I really enjoyed my job," Keel said. "I especially enjoyed planning with Kiowa and Apache attack helicopter crews because all the ground units loved having that air power overhead supporting their missions and that motivated me to obtain as much air support as possible."The Illinois National Guard has co-deployed with every Polish rotation to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. Col. Tom Purple of Rochester said leadership and experience were evident in the success of their team.

"It is a true honor to serve with outstanding warriors during a critical time in the campaign and be part of the success and history of our great Army," Purple said.

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WASHINGTON, DC, May 01, 2012 -- The nation's 100 largest agriculture cooperatives reported near-record revenue of $118 billion in 2010, USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager announced today. This was an increase of 4 percent over 2009 figures. Net income for the 100 top agriculture co-ops was also up more than 10 percent in 2010, reaching $2.39 billion, up from $2.16 billion in 2009.

"Farmer and rancher-owned cooperatives are a mainstay in the American economy, not only helping members market and process their crops, milk and livestock and creating jobs, but also helping producers keep more of the earnings derived from their products at home, in rural counties and communities," Tonsager said. "The end result is a huge net benefit for producers, their communities and the overall rural economy. Farmer co-ops also account for significant numbers of jobs and economic activity in many cities."

CHS Inc., a farm supply, grain and foods cooperative based in Saint Paul, MN, topped the list with 2010 revenue of $25.3 billion. Land O' Lakes, a dairy foods and farm supply co-op, also based in Saint Paul, ranked second, with revenue of $11.1 billion; Dairy Farmers of America, based in Kansas City, Mo., was third with $9.8 billion in 2010 revenue.

USDA's top 100 ag co-op list shows that 23 co-ops had 2010 revenue of more than $1 billion. Another 47 co-ops had revenue between $506 million and $1 billion. The 100th ranked co-op had sales of $276 million.

Leading the revenue increase from 2009 to 2010 were dairy cooperatives, which saw 2010 revenue climb more than 14.5 percent from the previous year, to $29.5 billion. Dairy cooperatives accounted for more than half of the revenue increase recorded by the top 100 ag co-ops in 2010.

Gross margins, as a percent of total sales, were up slightly, from 9 percent to 9.2 percent. The increase in gross margins partially covered higher expenses. Gross margins plus service revenue climbed to $684 million.

Total expenses for the top 100 ag co-ops were up $575 million in 2010. The largest cost increase was for labor, where expenses climbed by 7 percent, to $4.6 billion. On the other hand, lower interest rates and less debt caused interest expense to drop 11 percent.

"While it is encouraging to see the nation's largest farmer-owned cooperatives reporting strong revenue and income, it is also noteworthy that the nation is seeing a surge in the formation of small-farmer cooperatives and quasi-cooperatives that have been created to meet the growing demand for locally produced foods," Tonsager said.

The asset base for the top 100 ag co-ops grew by $2.3 billion between 2009 and 2010. Current assets accounted for nearly two-thirds of that increase. Fixed assets also showed an increase of $600 million.

For a complete list of the top 100 cooperatives, go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/rdTop100AgCoopList04-27-2012.pdf. For a more detailed look at the top 100 Ag Co-ops, see page 16 of the March-April issue of USDA's "Rural Cooperatives" magazine: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/openmag.htm.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of state and local offices. Rural Development has an active portfolio of more than $165 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural areas.

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